Amazing Aggies – Bob Anderson

Bob Anderson pretty much did everything.

He flew planes over the Pacific in the thick of World War II battles.

He revolutionized magazine-format television.

He ruled on controversial tax lawsuits in California.

Heck, he was even friends with baseball great Ted Williams.

The one thing Bob Anderson didn’t do, however, was beat Cal.

“My grandfather was the sweetest kindest man you could ever meet,” said Anderson’s granddaughter Alli Dixon. “His only grudge was against the officials of the Cal game for what they did.”

Anderson was the starting quarterback for the UC Davis football team in 1939 when it traveled to California to take the Golden Bears in an infamous football match.

According to numerous firsthand accounts, the UC Davis squad was leading Cal after four quarters. In order to prevent the monumental upset from occurring, the referees had the teams play a fifth quarter, something only seen at the occasional Pop Warner and high school freshman football games. The Golden Bears went on to score in the phantom period and take the game 14-12.

“He thought the officials pulled something just terrible,” Dixon said. “He thought it was poor form.”

Anderson’s play earned him the clever nickname Bob “I played in the Cal game” Anderson. Just playing in the game wasn’t good enough for Anderson, though – he wanted to beat Cal.

“It’s so funny because after all he’s been through in his life, he never let go of the UC Davis-Cal game,” Dixon said. “You couldn’t mention ‘Cal’ or even watch a Cal game on TV around him because he still held that grudge.”

Off the gridiron, Anderson lived a truly amazing life.

Anderson was born on May 11, 1918 in Connecticut. He enrolled in San Diego State in 1936 and immediately joined the football team. Anderson was set for a successful four years for the Aztecs, but his inclination to become a rancher caused him to transfer schools. At the time, there was no better institution for agriculture than UC Davis.

Anderson’s relationship with the quaint farm town was love at first sight.

“He absolutely loved Davis,” Dixon said. “He loved the campus, the community, the sports and the academics.”

Anderson lettered in three sports. He was the starting quarterback from 1939 to 1941, starting catcher on the baseball team and anchor of the swim relay. Throughout his entire Aggie career, Anderson always wore the number 11, the date of his birth.

Anderson had offers from eight professional football teams at the time, including the Philadelphia Eagles, Detroit Lions and Brooklyn Dodgers football club. Anderson, however, wanted to serve for his country.

He rejected all eight offers and instead became an aviator in the navy. After training with the navy, Anderson joined the marines as a fighter.

Anderson’s longtime friend and baseball great Ted Williams flew alongside Anderson in the marines. The two played baseball together in the armed forces league and even co-managed one of the squads.

As a fighter pilot, Anderson helped escort American bombers and fought off enemy kamikazes. He was at Iwo Jima when the flag was raised and even flew 300 miles to safety after being hit by an enemy ground attack. Anderson’s squad was computer generated in Clint Eastwood’s film Flags of Our Fathers.

Anderson moved back to the town he loved the most in the early 1950s and started a local television show focused on farming and agriculture. He produced and hosted the program. Eventually Anderson created a second show entitled “Sportfolio with Bob Anderson” which focused on local and national sports. Anderson was recognized for his work by the Emmys after he passed away in October 2009.

Despite all he accomplished, Anderson was a family man through and through. As frustrated as he was with the Golden Bears, Anderson happened to marry one. His wife, Ruth Anderson was also deeply connected with UC Davis. She started off as the Dean of Women on campus and eventually moved up to Associate Dean of Students.

“He loved being with his family,” Dixon said, “especially the family reunions in Davis. He was so charismatic and outgoing.”

Even though Anderson lived a very eventful life, it was difficult to get some of his stories out of him, Dixon said.

“He was also one of the most humble people you’d ever meet,” Dixon said. “Even some of his closest friends didn’t know all he accomplished. It’s truly remarkable how someone who achieved so much was so humble about it all.”

If there’s one thing Anderson wasn’t so quiet about, it was the loss to Cal. According to Dixon, even to the day he died Anderson talked about the game.

“He was the sweetest, happiest man I’ve ever met,” Dixon said. “He had one of the best attitudes ever, except when he talked about the Cal game.”

JASON ALPERT can be reached at sports@theaggie.org.